"Oh, it's a term used when you land a killing blow against an opponent in a duel, locking their armor."

"I see." Danny was well aware of Dragon Army's prowess in the Great Dome. It was rumored that they would take the Chalice of Light for the third year in a row.

"Promise me you will attend the final duel if Dragon Army makes it past the semi-finals?"

"I promise."

Sabrina beamed at the response. "Oh, what did you want to tell me?"

Danny hesitated. Seeing her so excited, in such a good mood, in contrast to her usual stern self, he couldn't burden her with his news concerning Sir Syndil or the fact that he might actually be the Mageknight. Strengthening his resolve with a quick deep breath, faking the second smile of the day, he decided not to tell her.

"It was nothing," he lied.

"You are holding something back," said Sabrina, squinting, clearly unconvinced.

"It was only about Doug and Briza," said Danny, lying for the second time, faking a smile for the third. "Those two seem to be getting closer, Doug has been talking about visiting the Elvin capital," he added, that wasn't a lie.

"...Oh really?" Sabrina asked, her curiosity outweighing her ability to see through Danny's false display of emotion.

"...So, Phoenix Army, huh?" Danny asked, changing the subject to keep the focus away from himself. For the rest of the afternoon, he kept his burdens to himself, unwilling to dampen Sabrina's good mood. They talked until the sun had fallen well beyond the rim of the toiling black clouds above. As the final streaks of sunlight touched them, Danny bid Sabrina goodbye and trudged back to the library.

He was in a better mood by then, Sabrina always had that effect on him. But the closer he got to the library, the worse his outlook became. Climbing the ivory stairs, his irritation grew with every step. Entering the ornate building, Danny found all of his friends sitting at the same table they'd shared previously, hard at work with piles of old books circling the table.

Looking up, they all showed the same confused expression.

"Where's Sabrina?" Chris asked, verbalizing the thought of everyone present.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't tell her."

"...Why not?"

"She seemed so happy and she already has too much to do. Dragon Army is entering the semi-finals and they will be training for the finals if they win. I just couldn't do it."

"And, what, you don't think we have other things we could be doing?" Alonso asked, raising his voice, standing.

"Shh!" the librarian repeated for the second time that day, placing a single slender finger to his lips.

"Did that Elf just shush me again!?" Alonso said, turning, as if to confront the tall librarian.

"Oh, no, you don't," said Chris, grabbing Alonso by the shoulders, forcing him back down into his chair.

Alonso struggled for a short time before giving in to Chris's superior strength, content to sit quietly with his arms crossed.

"Danny is right," said Chris in a hushed tone. "Sabrina is a second-year and she has different obligations. Any help she could've provided would've been welcome, but limited and perhaps even harmful if the other squires of Dragon Army became curious about her time away."

"Thanks, man," said Danny.

"So, what do we do now?" Matt asked.

Danny sighed. "Any luck with the archives?"

All eyes dropped to the table in frustration, except for Briza. "The object you described is not within the text," she said. "Either it is something that has never been encountered in the history of the Light or it is so old that it pre-dates the records. If there is any information to be found about what you saw, we will not find it here."

"If that's the case, then we'll have to talk to someone who was around before the creation of the Light," observed Matt, huffing on the lenses of his glasses, wiping them clean with the sleeve of his robe.

"Briza has been telling me about the elders of the Elvin capital," said Doug, his pitch jumping a range or two in excitement. "Some of the Elves have lived well over two hundred years. Perhaps one of them could help us."

"It is true. Our recorded history predates the founding of the Light," Briza added.

"But we have no way of contacting them," Matt pointed out.

"Maybe we don't but we know someone who might," said Danny.

"...Who?" Chris asked.

"Calador," Danny said, as he closed the heavy book in front of him.

Chapter 30 - Describing a Dark Object.

ate the next afternoon, after a tiring day of training, Danny sought out Calador. He found the Elf discussing various subjects with a small group of squires. While waiting for the Elf to finish his conversation, Danny found a soft seat on the edge of a nearby sofa.

He had decided to meet with Calador alone, giving the rest of his friends a well-deserved rest. Chris, of course, wanted to come, too; he was ever the faithful friend, but Danny demanded that he take time to relax.

"What if he can't help us?" a familiar voice asked from behind. Danny felt the backside of the couch slouch with the weight of another.

Danny turned to find Chris sitting next to him with his arms crossed. "I thought I told you to get some rest."

"It's not in my nature to listen to, or obey, any of your commands, Squire Firoth," Chris said with a smile.

Danny returned the smile. "Thanks, Squire Greene."

"Besides, Alonso and Anthony are already asleep, Doug is with Briza and Matt is studying. You didn't answer my question."

Danny dropped his eyes for a moment of thought. "I don't know."

The answer must have sufficed, Chris waited in silence as Calador finished his conversation with the group of squires and sent them on their way.

"How can I be of service, Squires Firoth and Greene?" Calador asked, turning toward them.

"How does he do that?" Danny whispered to himself more than anyone else.

"The same way you look at me now with your own two eyes," said Calador, standing, moving within striking distance of Chris and Danny. "It is a natural ability, it has taken the place of my eyes."

"Sometimes, I think you can see well beyond what anyone else can, just by using your ears."

"That is a strange statement coming from one that can use the Ghostsight, Mageknight."

Danny flinched at the title, he was still rankled by the label of a prophesied hero.

"What can I do for you two?"

"We need your help."

Calador nodded in acknowledgment. "Come, let us retire to a more suitable place to talk." The Elf swiveled ever-so-slightly on the heel of his foot and gracefully about-faced. Without looking back, he set off at a steady pace, walking toward the large oak door inlaid with silver that marked his personal quarters.

Danny and Chris looked at each other for an instant, before shrugging; they bounded off to follow in the blind Elf's footsteps.

Stopping in front of his door, Calador turned the knob and opened the door inward, bidding Chris and Danny to enter, hand outstretched.

Danny and Chris passed through the threshold of Calador's quarters, noting the attributes of the small room.

In the far-right corner rested a medium-sized bed, blue sheets and heavy brown blanket made up, tucked beneath the mattress without a single wrinkle. At the foot of the bed sat a large footlocker, secured with a silver latch. Arranged against the far wall, next to the bed, was a small desk, barren of the normal supplies one might see, an ink and quill or even parchment, a short stool was the only defining attribute. The white brick walls lacked any furnishings, giving the entire room a very plain look.

"Please, make yourselves at home," said Calador as he shut the door behind them and walked to the middle of the room.

"How are we to do that?" Danny asked, looking around the stark room.

"Forgive me," said Calador. "It is merely an expression that I am familiar with, one used by your race. I am, of course, aware of the lack of furnishings that make up my personal quarters. After I lost my sight, I found it meaningless to adorn the walls with artifacts that I could no longer see. In addition, training yourself to see by listening requires a substantial amount of dedication. It also helps if there is a lack of furniture, one cannot trip if there is nothing in your way. I suppose the living arrangement stuck, I have little need of anything else. Everything you see is all that I require, a bed to sleep in, a locker for my personal things and a desk to sit at."

"You don't get many visitors, do you?" Chris said, more of an observation than a question.

"No, Squire Greene, I do not. However, such is not the reason you have come. What is it that I can do for you?"

"We need your help."

"That has already been made quite clear, Squire Firoth," said Calador, his expression lacking any kind of emotion. "What is it that you need help with?"

"Five days ago, I lied to you."

"This, too, I already know."

Danny hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I found something within Sir Syndil's personal quarters."

"And how did you manage that?" Calador asked, his pointed ears perking up.

"I snuck in while he was away."

"Although I find your choice of action very foolish, you have piqued my interest. Go on."

Danny began by detailing what he'd found inside Sir Syndil's chambers, making a point to mention the open book about the history of the Mageknight. He also told Calador about the strange vision that led him to the secret latch, in the form of a dagger, and the hatch that opened in the center of the dueling circle. Lastly, he described the dark object he had found within the box, as well as the odd feelings it had triggered.

Calador listened intently, saying nothing as Danny talked, occasionally nodding encouragingly. As soon as Danny was finished, the blind Elf tipped his right hand to the slant of his chin, stroking the point, as if in deep thought. The silence deepened as Calador contemplated Danny's words.

"Well?" Danny asked, growing frustrated. I wish he would say something!

"I am afraid I have no knowledge that will help you," said Calador after one last prolonged moment. "The object you have described is not known to me. However, this confirms my suspicion of Sir Syndil's interest in you," added the Elf, turning to look at something unknown. "It seems he has suspected that you might be the Mageknight for some time. That would explain the open book you found on his desk. But he has yet to present his findings to the King of the Light, suggesting that his plans for you are his own. The only missing piece of the puzzle is the mysterious object you have discovered. What purpose does it serve?" Calador questioned, in a way that seemed to serve only him.

"That's what we were hoping you could tell us."

Calador turned to focus on Danny, as if he'd forgotten that he was even there. "You have, of course, searched the archives for a description?"

"Yes," said Danny bluntly, his patience running out.

"And what did you find?"

"We could find nothing that matched Danny's description of the object," Chris piped up, as if sensing his friend's frustration.

Calador dropped his head, lost in thought once again. "It predates the records of the Light?"

"Briza said that the Elvin Elders might know something," added Chris.

Calador nodded. "It is true that Elvin history predates that of the Light by far. However, there is no guarantee that they would have any record of the object you described."

"Couldn't we at least try to contact them?" Danny asked.

"We, you say?" Calador questioned. "You are but Squires of the Light. Your place is to train here on the island and mine is to oversee that training. Besides, Elsmelda, the capital of my race's homeland, is located far to the south, deep beneath the Antarctic shelf; it requires weeks of travel by any normal means to get there. By the time we arrived, requested an audience with the Elders and gained access to the archives, it would already be too late."

"Then what're we supposed to do?!" Danny demanded, his anger beginning to resurface.

"You did not allow me to finish, Squire Firoth," said Calador, displaying a soft smile, a behavior that drew Danny's immediate attention, the Elf rarely smiled.

Danny held his tongue.

"As I was saying, it would be impossible for us to make the journey by any normal means, and with such limited time. However, I know someone who can travel by other means and is still in good standing with the Elvin Elders."

"And who might that be?"

"An old friend," Calador said cryptically.

Chapter 31 - Alamber Ordvack Halfelvin.